Following the tragic shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords this past weekend, many throughout the world’s thoughts have been with the congresswoman—who remains in critical condition at this time. As vigils continued to be held in honor of Giffords as well as the other victims of the Tuscon shooting, many Southwestern musicians have used their music to pay their respects. On Sunday, NPR briefly spoke with Calexico frontman Joey Burns about his friendship with Giffords as well as her involvement in Tuscon’s local music scene.

Since meeting Giffords in 2006, the congresswoman and Burns have continued to support each other’s endeavors. Calexico has performed at a number of campaign events for Giffords during that time, while Giffords chose Calexico’s “Crystal Frontier” as the wake up call for the crew members during 2008’s Space Shuttle Discovery mission—which her husband Mark Kelley commanded.

Burns went on to describe her commitment to the Tuscon music scene during the interview. “As soon as I got to meet her, I could see why,” Burns explained. “She’s very active in the community. She’s always going to shows. She’s just that kind of person that is very passionate.”